Ingredients

• To make your own insecticidal soap, you'll need liquid dishwashing soap, two quart-sized plastic bottles with sprayer attachments, isopropyl alcohol, cayenne pepper, garlic and ginger. Dried and ground versions of the spices in the recipe are just as effective as fresh and are generally less expensive.
  
  

Directions

• Measure one teaspoon of ground cayenne, one teaspoon of ground garlic and one teaspoon of ground ginger into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add one cup of boiling water and stir until the spices are well combined. Set the mixture aside and allow it to cool for at least one hour. Then pour the liquid through a coffee filter to remove any undissolved particles. Transfer the filtered liquid to a clean bowl and add one quart of water. Add one tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap and stir gently until well blended. Stir in ¼ cup of isopropyl alcohol and transfer the mixture to the spray bottles, capping quickly to prevent evaporation of the alcohol.
  
  

Application

• To use your insecticidal soap, spray the affected plants generously; being sure to coat the undersides of the leaves as well as the tops. Apply the soap spray to the plants three times a week for two weeks and you should see a noticeable decrease in your resident pest population. Once the insects are under control, plants will only need to be treated after watering or heavy rains. This type of insecticide is particularly effective against mites, aphids, leafhoppers and whiteflies. Other infestations may respond better to different ingredients.